A ‘hungry’ young man, Evans Kwadwo has been jailed at the Kumasi Central Prison by a Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region for attempting to steal cooked rice in a neighbour’s kitchen.
Kwadwo told crimecheckghana, that he was so hungry that he could not bear it any longer. So, he jumped into a neighbour’s house and sneaked into her kitchen where he found cooked rice in a rice cooker. He said, whiles he was clandestinely making away with the rice in the cooker, the victim noticed him and shouted “thief thief thief, thereby drawing the attention of other neighbours who confronted him.
Kwadwo said, when he was accosted, he explained to them that, “I only wanted to empty the rice cooker into a polythene bag and take the rice away. I did not intend to steal the cooker as well”.
He said, despite all his explanations, he was still handed over to the Ahwienso police who kept him in custody for two weeks.
He said when he was taken to court, he pleaded guilty and explained to the court the situation that led him into the act. The judge, according to Kwadwo fined him Eight Hundred and Forty Ghana cedis (GHS 840) or in default serve four (4) months imprisonment to serve as a lesson to him. “The judge asked me what I had to say about my case, but I only begged the judge and told him I was sorry. He then gave me four months.” He said.
The young man said he could not afford the fine so he had to serve the sentence.
CCF’s intervention
Crime Check Foundation (CCF) with support from a US-based couple, Mr. and Mrs. Koomson paid Kwadwo’s fine for his release. Kwadwo thanked the couple and promised to turn a new leaf.
USAID JSS Activity
The USAID Justice Sector Support Activity is an initiative to enhance Ghana’s justice delivery system such that petty offenders like Evans Kwadwo are given an alternative sentence rather than being imprisoned. Any individual who is in Kwadwo’s situation or whose rights have been abused can contact the following helplines – 0203799978 and 0302766756 kind courtesy USAID JSSA for support for redress.
